Restaurant review: The Fat Pig, Causeway Bay, a disappointing experience
It speaks volumes when a meal in an establishment specialising in pork dishes is memorable mostly for its salads and desserts. Many of the meat dishes were erratically seasoned, and service was harried
Cuisine: pork-centric
Price: about HK$235 without drinks.
Ambience: hipster-meets-shopping mall.
Pros: service was harried and disorganised – the staff didn’t bring serving implements, we had to ask each time we needed the small plates changed, and we had to wave down a waiter or waitress every time we wanted something because there didn’t seem to be a designated server. This would normally count against a restaurant, but the manager realised this without our having to point it out, and removed the service charge from the bill.
Cons: The Fat Pig is part of The Press Room Group and is a collaboration with British chef Tom Aikens, so we were surprised at what a disappointment it was. We love pig as much as anyone, but many of the dishes were erratically seasoned. Deep-fried pig’s ears with green caper sauce (HK$55) needed salt; a dry, coarsely textured potted pig’s liver pate (HK$65) was dull because it didn’t have much flavour at all. Grilled Cumberland sausage (HK$168) had a crumbly texture and needed more fat, while the mash was too tangy from an overabundance of sour cream or creme fraiche. Ham hock mac and cheese (HK$88) would have been better if it had been made with more interesting cheese, and there were just a few scraps of the listed ham hock – not enough to make a difference. Also, charging HK$5 per person for filtered water is petty.